Moving On
by efficacious humorosity
Summary: Sequel to Dangerous Waters.  Deathly Hallows spoilers.  Albus and Verity's wedding.  Lots of fluff, more so than the first two, but there will be some angst, I promise!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own anything you recognize from any of the seven Harry Potter books, so please don't sue. I also don't own Finding Nemo, which belongs to Disney and Pixar or "I Can't Tell You" by Hillary Frank. Thanks. First chapter of the sequel to Dangerous Waters- enjoy. Read and review please!! **

Chapter 1

"I love Muggle movies," Annemarie sighed, her gray eyes glued to the television screen.

"Me too," Verity agreed wholeheartedly, yawning widely and stretching. She and Annemarie had been living together in a Muggle two bedroom flat since their return from vacation. Albus had asked Ver if she wanted to live with him, but she had refused, saying that it would just add to the pressure that they were already under at that point. Verity glanced at the date on her watch. In exactly fourteen days, she would be Mrs. Verity Potter. She sucked in a breath of anticipation before turning her eyes back to the television. She and Annemarie were watching one of their all-time favorite movies: Finding Nemo. "I especially love this movie."

"Yeah," Annemarie agreed. "It's amazing how much time flies by when you're watching a movie, eh?"

Though she had just glanced at her watch moments before, Verity blurted out, "What time is it?"

"It is…," Annemarie started to reply, glancing at the clock on the wall and squinted her eyes so she could see better, "quarter 'til five."

"Oh my God," Verity gasped, jumping off of the couch. "I'm supposed to meet Albus in fifteen minutes!"

"Relax, Verity," Annemarie smiled. "You can Apparate, remember?"

"No shit," she said, running up the stairs, "I can remember that. But I've got to beautiful myself?"

"Why?" Annemarie snorted. "Albus would still think you were beautiful if you were sick and work a garbage bag."

"Well?" Verity asked ten minutes later, looking almost exactly the same as she did before she had rushed up to her room. All she had done was changed her clothes and touched up her make up.

"You look the same as you did before," Annemarie pointed out.

"Not the point, Eerie," Verity said through gritted teeth, falling back on the use of her cousin's old pet name. "Do I look good anyways?"

"Yes," Annemarie said impatiently. "Yes, yes, yes, to all of the above." Verity rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm off," she said, hugging her cousin.

"Have fun," Annemarie told her. "And don't be naughty!"

Verity's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Naught or knotty?"

"Naughty as in dirty," Annemarie clarified, shaking her head. "I knew letting you read 'I Can't Tell You' would mess with your head."

Albus Severus Potter stood just outside a Muggle restaurant, his hands stuffed into his pockets as his intelligent green eyes scanned the swarming throngs of people for his fiancée, Verity Pierce. He sighed, glancing at his watch. He had arrived an hour early, eager to see her again, and she would be late if she didn't arrive just now-

"Hey!" called a voice. He whipped his head around to find himself face to face with a familiar redhead.

"Verity!" he cried happily as she threw her arms around him. He pressed a soft kiss into her hair. "I was worried you wouldn't show up."

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked, her blue eyes sparkling at him teasingly.

He shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe something bad happened to you. Or maybe you decided you didn't want to marry me anymore." He looked depressed at the very thought.

She giggled. "Oh, please. You know that would never happen." He beamed at her as she pressed her lips to his. "Come on, let's go inside." He allowed her to drag him inside the restaurant. As they were being seated by the hostess, his arm wrapped around her waist, gluing her to him. She smiled, glad to be there.

He kissed her more urgently, his hands entangling themselves in her fiery red hair. Verity's arms looped around his neck as she broke away, panting. "I love you, Albus," she said, her blue eyes sparkling happily.

"I love you too," he breathed, pressing his lips to hers briefly. "You want to go back to your place?"

"Sure. Why not?" she asked, grasping his hand in hers.

He smiled. "Because I'm a highly hormonal male who's not to be trusted?"

"God, Al- you sound so freakishly like McGonagall sometimes that it's not even funny," Verity giggled. He laughed too, happy that she was with him. "Let's go." Together, they turned on the spot, disappearing with a great double pop.

They reappeared just outside Verity's apartment building. "Long time, no see," Albus commented. "I haven't been here since this morning."

She laughed. "You're here so much Al that you and the doorman are on a first name basis. You may as well live here." He looked hopeful for a second, before she hastily added, "After we're married."

"But we'll live in a house, right?" he questioned.

"If we want to," she replied simply. "Let's go up. I'm sure Annemarie wants to say hi."

They climbed up the stairs two at a time, like a pair of lovesick five year olds. By the time they had reached the seventh floor, they were laughing hysterically, collapsing into a chuckling mass at Verity's apartment door. Pulling herself up with great effort, Verity knocked on the door. No one answered. She shot a questioning look at Albus before calling, "Annemarie? Open up! It's Ver and Al!"

"Don't you have a key?" Albus asked, amused, now standing beside her. She rolled her eyes affectionately, pulling a key out of her pocket. She unlocked the door and threw it open, revealing a liplocked James and Annemarie in the living room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Don't own, don't sue. Thanks for all the reviews and please keep it up. Enjoy. **

Chapter 2

"Um… pardon me?" Verity said, bemused, a single red eyebrow raised. James and Annemarie hastily broke apart. "Hullo."

James mumbled something that sounded like a greeting. Albus stifled his laughter, asking his brother, "What's going on here?"

"Well…" Annemarie said, sounding awkward for almost the first time in all the time that Verity had known her.

"You and James were snogging, simply put, correct?" Ver asked, a single giggled escaping her self-control.

"Yes," Annemarie mumbled, her face reddening.

"What's going on between you two?" Albus asked, a teasing grin playing on his lips.

"James came over to keep me company while Verity was gone and…" Annemarie said, searching for the words to describe what had happened between her and James, "he told me how he feels, asked me out, and I agreed."

"Wholeheartedly, might I add," Verity sniggered.

"Shut up," James retorted, smiling widely at them. He wrapped an arm around Annemarie's waist, smiling. "I finally got a girl, eh?"

"Good for you, bro," Albus said. He surveyed the two in front of him and pulled Verity to him, grinning broadly. "Let's give these two some privacy, eh? We'll be in Ver's room."

"Ooh," Annemarie wolf-whistled. "Be good little children, eh?"

Verity turned back and stuck her tongue out at her cousin, winking one blue eye at her. "We'll be little angels." She and Albus rounded the corner, entering her room. "I'm happy for him." She smiled as he sat on her bed, pulling her onto his lap gently.

"Mhmmm," he agreed, nibbling on her ear. She shivered in pleasure. "He's been single long enough, don't you think?"

"Yeah," she agreed, her fingers closing around his hands.

"And I think I've gone long enough without you kissing you. Don't you?" he asked, raising a black brow at her.

"It's only been about half an hour," she giggled, straddling him as she did so. His nose brushed against hers; his breath washing over her face.

"Half an hour… half a century… both feel the same," he shrugged, grinning at her.

"All right," she assented. She had barely gotten these words out when his lips crashed down to hers in a rush of passion. Her legs tightened around his torso as his hands massaged her back. His hot tongue swept against her mouth and she granted him entrance without hesitation, moaning into his mouth. Her fingers gently traced his muscles underneath his black shirt. His muscles shivered at her touch. Gently, he maneuvered her onto her back so that he was on top of her on the bed. His lips continued to move against hers as his hand reached just under her shirt, his finger splaying out against her stomach. He reached a bit higher when- "No," she said firmly, breaking away and sitting up, leaning against him heavily. "No sex until after we're married."

His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. "I know," he panted simply in reply. "I wasn't planning on it."

She sighed. "It's tempting enough for both of us as it is; we don't need to add to our problems," she told her, her lips brushing against his cheek softly, feeling the slight stubble on his face. He sighed, biting his lip, knowing that she was right. Her hand gently cupped the other side of his face as she turned his head, forcing him to look her in the eyes. His green eyes met her blue ones with a shock of static; he was amazed that, after all these years, he still found it breathtaking just to look her dead in the eye. "Only two more weeks, Albus," she whispered softly, her fingers now trailing down his cheek, "in two weeks, we'll be married. And then we can do it."

"I know," he said, his voice deep and throaty. His arms tightened around her. "It seems like such a long time."

She chuckled, her body shaking against his. "We've been through much worse together, Albus," she said. "You can make it two more weeks."

"Yeah," he agreed huskily, his lips brushing against her ear. "It's still tempting, though."

"I never said it wouldn't be," she said. "Two more weeks, Albus. It's not that long. Besides, soon we'll start practicing and preparing more for the wedding and we'll be too busy to even notice how tempting it is to rip each other's clothes off."

He chuckled throatily. "Well, when you put it like that…" he said. A frown crossed his handsome face, which did not go unnoticed by Verity.

"What's wrong, Albus?" she asked, her bright blue eyes sparkling with concern as she gazed at him.

"It's just…" he said, his voice trailing off in uncertainty as he gazed back at her. "I guess I'm just worried that I'm going to screw up this wedding."

"How so?" she laughed. "You could show up in your underwear and I'd still marry you."

"What if I forget that?" he grimaced.

She thought for a moment before saying, "I don't think they'd let you in. I might not be able to control myself." He chuckled.

"Are you sure I won't do something like forget my vows?" he asked again, his green eyes probing hers worriedly.

"If you do, just wing it," she advised. "As long as you mean it, that's all that matters to me, Albus."

"I love you, Verity," he moaned. His hot breath tickled her ear as his glasses fogged up.

"I love you too, Albus," she replied.

"You're such an amazing woman," he said, taking her hands in his. "I'm so unbelievably lucky."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," she told him firmly, trying to reclaim her fingers and failing. "Neither did the prophecy. It merely predicted what was meant to happen. I fell in love with you because I was made for you. End of story."

He grinned at her. "You see?" he asked, grinning. Suddenly, a thought struck him and wiped the grin clean off of his face. His face fell as he said slowly, "I don't deserve you."

"Yes," she contradicted firmly, her hands resting on his broad shoulders, "you do." She looked thoughtful for a few silent moments, before adding, "And even if you don't, that wouldn't change anything. I am yours, and only yours."

"Well that's a relief," he smiled, kissing the pad of her finger.

A knock sounded at the door. "Can I come in?" called Annemarie.

"Come on in, Eerie," Verity said, leaning back against Albus' warm form.

Annemarie came in cautiously, her red hair still messed up. She smiled, asking, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, go on, Annemarie," Albus said, his fingers subconsciously playing with Verity's red hair, which rivaled Annemarie's.

Annemarie turned to her cousin, her expression now morose. "St. Mungo's called. Dennis wants to see you."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Don't own, don't sue. Thanks for all the reviews and please keep it up! Enjoy. **

Chapter 3

Albus stared at Verity longingly through the glass. She was inside Dennis' hospital room, talking to her twin sadly. After they had gotten back home from vacation, he had come down with some sort of heart problem, which was impossible to fix, even by magic, until they knew exactly what it was. He had been at St. Mungo's for nearly three weeks now. Suddenly, Verity turned to him and beckoned him in. He stood, shoving his hands into his pockets, and headed into the room. "What's up?" he asked, standing directly behind Verity. He extracted his hands from his pockets and wrapped his arms around her.

"They've figured out what's wrong with me," Dennis replied. "They're going to try to heal me."

Albus gulped. "What do you mean try?"

Dennis sighed. "It's not an easy condition to heal, apparently. They're going to try to do it before the wedding, but they may not succeed."

"It's okay if you miss it, Den, I already told you that," Verity told her twin firmly.

"Ver's right," Albus said. "We'd love to have you there, but not if you're risking your life."

"I'm going to be there," Dennis insisted. "I'm going to walk Verity down the aisle, since our dad obviously can't do it."

"But Dennis…" Verity whined.

"No buts," he said, cutting her off. "I'm going to be there."

"He's impossible," Ver said, throwing up her hands.

"Oh, and you aren't?" Dennis sniped. Ver's face softened as she looked down at her brother in concern. He looked terribly weak and pale.

"All right, Dennis," she said weakly. "Whatever you say."

"Do you mind if I stay the night?" Albus asked Verity nervously as he walked her to her apartment door.

"Sure, no problem," she muttered faintly. He cocked his head at her in concern; she had been quiet since they left St. Mungo's.

"Well, I'll just stop by my flat really quick and pick up my stuff, okay?" he said, his lips brushing softly against her cheek. She nodded blankly, opening the door with her key. "I'll be right back." He released her and disappeared with a crack.

Sighing, she stepped inside the dark apartment, flipping on the lights. "Eerie?" she called. There was no response. She found a note on the fridge in Annemarie's familiar, big handwriting. It read:

_Gone out with James. See you soon. Love, Eerie. _

Verity emitted a strangled sort of noise as she let the tears she had been holding back flow freely. She hated seeing Dennis so helpless and weak. She hated that he was in so much pain. Most of all, she hated that there was nothing she could do to help him. Other than Annemarie, he was her only family left. They had been through so much together; she couldn't bear to think of how it would feel to lose him forever. In her frustration, she aimed a kick at their table. However, her vision was blurred by her tears and she missed, hitting her shin on the edge instead. "Shit," she gasped through her sobs, grabbing her shin in pain and hopping up and down on her good foot. Still crying heavily, she hopped over to the couch and collapsed onto it. She moaned, curling into fetal position and falling asleep promptly.

"Verity?" Albus called, opening the apartment door. Verity had given him a key the day they had moved in and he was glad for it now. He scanned the room with his green eyes, looking for her. "Oh, Verity." He sighed, spotting her on the couch. She seemed to be crying in her sleep, whimpering like a wounded animal every few moments. He bit back tears at seeing her in this condition and quietly crept over to her. He gathered her into his strong arms gently, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

Her blue eyes fluttered open. They widened in surprise at seeing him. "Oh, Albus," she moaned. She burst into tears once more, burying her face in his chest.

"Shhh," he whispered soothingly, kissing her bright red hair. "What's wrong, Verity?" He placed her on her bed gently, lying next to her. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," she sniffed, trying to stem the flow of her tears and failing miserably. "You're perfect, Albus."

"No, I'm not," he snorted. "But that's not the point. Why are you crying?"

"D-Dennis," she stuttered out. "I hate seeing him like this. I feel so helpless, you know?"

"I know what you mean," he said, pulling her against his body. "But he'll pull through, Ver. He always does."

"I know," she sniffled. Her tears had stopped, though her nose and eyes were bright red. She gingerly rolled up the leg of her pants, showing him the bruise that was forming on her shin.

"How'd you get that?" he asked, his brows knitting together in concern. He touched it gently, withdrawing his finger when she winced in pain.

"I was frustrated and kicked the table, but I missed and hit my shin on the edge instead," she told him, examining the blackish-blue mark on her shin. He grimaced.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel any better?" he asked hopefully.

"Actually," she said, biting her lip. "There is." She pressed her lips against his for a brief moments before pulling away, looking up at him beseechingly. "You can kiss me, hug me, tell me you love me, and then tell me that you can't wait to marry me. And mean it."

His green eyes twinkled at her. "Ver, I always do those things," he said. "And I always mean it." Nevertheless, he kissed her longingly full on the mouth. Then he pulled away and hugged her to him tightly and said, "I love you, Verity, and I can't wait to marry you."

She pressed a soft kiss into the crook of his neck, her lips curving into a smile against his warm skin. "I love you too," she replied. She yawned widely.

"You should sleep," he told her firmly, pressing her down onto the bed. He hovered above her, his warm form just barely touching hers.

"I'm not sleepy," she fibbed, fighting back another yawn.

"Liar," he scoffed. He bent his head down, pressing his lips to her softly. "Go to sleep, Verity."

"Fine," she succumbed. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, smiling at her warmly. She crawled beneath the covers and he followed suit, neither of them bothering to change into pajamas. She snuggled up to him, drifting off to sleep peacefully.

She woke the next morning, kissing him awake excitedly. "What's up?" he asked, yawning widely. Some time in the middle of the night, he must've felt too warm, because he had removed his shirt. She had a childish expression of joy plastered on her face. She wiggled the hand with the Resurrection Stone on it at him happily.

She smiled. "I've got an idea."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Still don't own… I never will. Thanks for all the reviews, and please keep it up! They help a lot! Enjoy. **

Chapter 4

"What's your idea, Ver?" Albus asked, sleep still in his green eyes. He cocked his head at her, wondering what on earth she could be planning in that brilliant head of hers.

"The Resurrection Stone," she said, pointing to it.

"Yup," he said, smacking his lips together. "I gave it to you when we were fourteen… it turned out to be something Drasen was after."

"I know that," she said, brushing off his answer. "We could use it to bring back ghosts, or shadows, or whatever of my parents, your grandparents, Scorpius… whoever we want!"

"You're right," he gasped, looking at her wide-eyed. "That's a brilliant idea!"

She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. She bit her bottom lip, saying, "There is one downside though."

"And that would be…?" Albus asked, taking her hands in his.

"You could drive yourself crazy," she whispered. "From the pain of seeing your dead loved ones but not really having them there. That's what happened to the Peverell brother who took it from Death."

He sighed, knowing that she was right. He cupped her face in his warm hands, saying, "My dad used it, Ver. He didn't go crazy."

"He thought he was about to die and join them, Albus," she pointed out, fighting to keep her focus while his lips were mere inches away.

"True," he admitted. "Maybe it's not such a good idea. Besides, they'll be there with us in spirit."

"Right," she said, brightening a bit. "Let's not do it." Smiling broadly at her, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to her in a passionate kiss.

"Only thirteen more days, Verity," he whispered, his warm breath caressing her face.

"Counting down, are we?" she teased, knowing full well that she had started it.

"Exactly," he said, kissing the corner of her mouth. "Right down to the very last second."

"Morning," Annemarie said sleepily, greeting Albus and Verity as they entered the kitchen for breakfast.

"Have fun with James last night?" Verity smirked. Annemarie grinned.

"Only the most," she assured her cousin, winking a single gray eye at her. A knock echoed at the door.

"It's James," a voice called.

"Why am I not surprised?" Albus remarked, rolling his eyes. "Come on in, bro!"

James walked through the door, looking gleeful. "Hey, bro. Hey, Ver," he greeted. Then his eyes fell on Annemarie, his brown eyes boring into her gray ones. "Hey, Annemarie," he said, softly. His lips brushed against her cheek softly as he took a seat next to her, watching intently as she ate her oatmeal.

"We'll just, er… be going," Verity said hastily, pulling Albus towards the front door.

"Where are we going?" he whined, looking at her pleadingly with his green eyes.

"Anywhere," she replied. "Anywhere but here."

As soon as they had left, James turned eagerly to Annemarie. "Did you sleep well?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes, I did actually," she replied coolly, determinedly keeping her gray eyes focused on her oatmeal. She glanced up at him, seeing the worried look etched on his handsome face. "What's wrong, James?"

"I know you agreed to date me last nite," he said slowly, "but I just worried you would think you made a mistake when you woke up this morning."

She stared at him for a few uncomfortably silent moments, her gray eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. Then, without warning, she burst into gales of laughter. She clutched her stomach as he cheeks ached from smiling so hard, so long. "What?" he asked indignantly. "What's so funny about it?"

"You thought that I'd have second thoughts afterwards?" she said, gasping for breath and trying hard not to burst into hysterical laughter once more.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It wouldn't be the first time a girl's done that to me."

"James, I'd never do that," she said. "I wouldn't have agreed to date you if I wasn't sure about it." He brightened considerably. "You don't need to worry so much James." Smiling at her broadly, he took her hand in his and pressed a soft kiss to it, reveling the feel of her smooth skin beneath his lips. She shivered in pleasure, closing her gray eyes in bliss.

"I wonder where Verity and Albus ran off to," he mused aloud, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"I dunno," she shrugged. "They've probably gone off to the Ministry for Auror training." She glanced at her watch, and added, "Speaking of training, I need to run off for my Healer training."

"Okay," he said agreeably, though his brown eyes conveyed his disappointment. She rolled her eyes at him affectionately and leaned forward, her nose brushing his.

"I'll see you later, James," she whispered, her sweet breath washing over his face like perfume. He found it hard to breath; he scent was intoxicating to him, like a drug. She pressed her lips to his softly, hearing his sharp gasp of pleasure. His hands instinctively grasped her waist, while her fingers entangled themselves in strands of his jet black hair. She pulled away, smiling at him happily. "Bye."

"Bye," he murmured in reply, touching his fingers to his lips tenderly. His lips still burned from hers on his. He smiled to himself, deliriously happy.

ASPVEPPASPVEPPASPVEPPASPVEPPASPVEPPASPVEPPASPVEPPASPVEPP

"Good job, you two," Harry congratulated Albus and Verity as they emerged, panting from a simulation.

"What," Verity panted, "the bloody hell was that?"

"That… that _thing_," Albus said, gasping for his breath, "had three slobbering heads, Dad. Three, damn it!"

"I know," Harry said calmly, seeming bemused at their bewilderment.

"So what was that?" Verity persisted.

"That," Harry said simply, gesturing towards the room they had just exited, "was Fluffy, the three-headed dog."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Don't own, don't sue. I know it's been forever since I last posted, but I've been super busy and I've had the biggest case of writer's block EVER. Anyway, read and review please. Enjoy. **

Chapter 5

"Are you ready?" Albus cupped Verity's faced in his hands as his emerald green eyes intently probed her light blue ones.

She gasped as he leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers softly. "Albus," she breathed as he pulled away, "I was born ready."

He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Then let's do this." He took her hand in his and led her towards the living room, which was full of people. Annemarie met them at the door, hugging Verity tightly.

"Good luck, watermelon head," she whispered in her cousin's hear, falling back on the use of Verity's old pet name.

"Thanks," Ver whispered back, tucking a lock of her red hair behind her ear, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"Don't worry, Ver," James reassured her, patting her on the back. "You're like family already; it won't be that big of a transition."

"Right," she nodded, trying to convince herself. Despite the fact that she had lived with the Potters since she was fourteen, she found herself anxiously awaiting their approval of her and Albus's engagement. Albus's whole family knew of their upcoming wedding; this would be the first time Verity had encountered most of them since they found out. She turned the door knob and pulled open the door.

"Congratulations, dear," Mrs. Weasley greeted warmly, embracing her tightly. "I wouldn't want my grandson to marry anyone else."

"Thanks, Grandma Weasley," Verity smiled.

"Ready for your big day, Ver?" Harry winked at her, hugging her as well.

"There's no other girl I'd rather have as a daughter-in-law," Ginny told her.

"Thanks, Mrs. Potter," she said. She glanced at Albus, who looked reluctant to leave her side. "Go mingle," she hissed at him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"I've lived with your family for three years, Al," she said, sounding more confident than she actually was. "I can handle this."

"If you say so," he said, biting his lip. He glanced at her hesitantly one last time before turning and heading towards his cousin Fred.

"Verity!" a voice called. George approached her, grinning broadly. "Congrats, Miss Pierce. Soon we'll be related!"

"Should I be preparing myself for the barrage of practical jokes that is sure to follow?" she joked.

"Yes," he nodded, a twinkle in his eyes, "have a wand!" He handed her a wand, which she took hesitantly. It emitted a great pop as soon as she took it, turning into a stuffed horse. She gaped at the horse, wondering how on earth he could've known that it resembled her Patronus and her Animagi form.

"How…?" she asked, unable to complete a coherent sentence.

He smiled knowingly. "There are some things an uncle just knows," he replied. "Then there are the things their nephews confess to them."

"Right," she said, smiling up at him timidly. "Thanks." George excused himself, hurrying over to Bill. Verity shrunk the horse and stuffed it in her pocket. She then spotted a member of the Weasley clan she didn't recognize and hurried over to him. "Hi. I'm afraid I don't know who you are," she said.

He eyes her maliciously with dangerous black eyes. He pointedly ignored her hint at wanting to know his name. "And you are…?"

"Verity," she said, smiling despite the fact that he was glaring daggers at her, "Albus's-"

"Albus's fiancée, I know," he said, sounding disgusted. "God, I can't believe my cousin would marry you."

She quickly regained her composure. "What do you mean?"

"You're a Mudblood," he spat.

"Excuse me?" she said, raising a single red eyebrow at him.

"I'm not the only who thinks he'd be better off marrying a pureblood witch," he said, nodding towards a bunch of kids in the corner, who seemed to be his siblings, "you're nothing but filth."

"KEVIN!" Albus bellowed suddenly, barreling over towards them. He wrapped an arm protectively about Verity's waist, pulling her away from the boy and drawing his wand. "You stay the bloody hell away from her!"

"Why don't you make me, Potter?" he spat.

Verity skillfully wriggled out of his grasp and forced him to put his wand down. "Don't bother."

"That's right- listen to your Mudblood girlfriend," Kevin smirked.

"_Impedimenta!" _

"Verity?" Albus found Verity sitting on the edge of her bed later that night, staring blankly into space. "Ver?" She still didn't respond. He sat next to her on the bed, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "You're not going to hex me for hexing him, are you?"

"No," she mumbled softly. He buried his nose in her hair, sniffing deeply.

"I know what you're thinking," he said suddenly. "And don't think it. You're perfect for me. Kevin and his immediate family are the only ones who think otherwise. Everybody else can't wait to have you, Verity."

"Hmmm," she muttered noncommittally.

"They have," he said, grimacing, "Muggle issues. Their dad had a Muggle license and was put in Muggle jail for vehicular homicide."

A few long moments of silence passed before Verity asked, "Al, what if they're right?"

"What do you mean?" he asked sharply, pulling away from her.

"What if I am just screwing up your family? I mean, a Mudblood in a pureblood family?" she said, her blue eyes growing more worried with every word she said.

"Don't call yourself that!" he growled. His facial expression softened as he continued, "Verity, I wouldn't care if you were Muggle-born, pureblood, half-blood, or even troll. I love you for you. Besides, Uncle Ron married Aunt Hermione and she's a Muggle-born. It's like I told you the first day we met. Your bloodline doesn't matter to me, Verity."

She looked relieved, her blue eyes meeting his green ones. "Thanks, Albus. For that and for protecting me when Kevin was being an arse."

"No problem," he said lightly. "I'd do anything for you." He smiled, pressing his lips to hers firmly. He felt her lips moving against his, her returned pressure. His hot tongue swept against her mouth and she granted him entrance. She moaned into him, her fingers grasping at his hair. Her hands reached under his shirt and pressed against the warmth of his chest. He pulled away, breathless, his hands attached to her hips. "How many more days?" he panted.

"Only seven, Albus," she replied breathily, inhaling sharply as his hand reached under her shirt. "Only seven more days, Al."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I know that I haven't updated in forever! I'm so sorry! High school keeps me super busy. Don't own, don't sue. Read and review, thanks. I was able to employ my Latin education that I'm currently being taught in my high school in the real world! I am on a roll! Enjoy! **

Chapter 6

"Are you nervous, Ver?" Annemarie asked her cousin, pinning Verity's red hair back for the rehearsal dinner. Verity was seated on a simple chair in front of a large vanity mirror as Annemarie stood behind her, fiddling about with her red hair.

"No," Verity lied, biting her lower lip. "I'm marrying the guy of dreams in less than two days and I feel like I'm going to puke- why should I be nervous?"

Annemarie grinned broadly at her. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"I'll be fine, if that's what you mean," Verity insisted. They had already rehearsed the wedding and were now preparing to meet the Potter/ Weasley clan at a restaurant for a family dinner. Since Dennis was still at St. Mungo's, James had walked her down the aisle, being like another brother to her.

"I hope James doesn't have to walk you down the aisle," Annemarie said suddenly, her gray eyes boring into Verity's blue ones. "Not that I have a problem with him doing it… it's just, the only reason he would have to would be because Dennis is still in the hospital."

"I know," she whispered softly in agreement. "I miss Den so much."

"Me too," Annemarie sighed. She gently nudged her cousin. "Come on. Albus will be wondering where we are."

Verity stood stayed where she was, deep in thought about her upcoming wedding. "I'm going to be married," she whispered, more to herself than to Annemarie.

Annemarie rolled her eyes and resorted to speaking in Latin, which she and Verity had learned together. "Age, Verita! Tempus est ire! Cur non surgis et ambulis?" **(A/N: The Latin sentences mean, "Come on, Verity! It is time to go! Why aren't you getting up and walking?") **

Verity cracked a grin as she heard her cousin speak in the dead language. "Molesta puella, cur vexas me? Non vult ire, nam sum defessa." **(A/N: That means, "Annoying girl, why are you annoying me? I do not want to go, for I am tired.")**

Annemarie gasped, feigning hurt. "I'm insulted," she pouted, folding her arms.

"All right, all right, let's go," Verity laughed, humoring her.

"You're not doing this for me, though," she pouted. "You just want to see Albus."

Ver smiled, a twinkle in her blue eyes. "Can't argue with that."

"Are you okay?" were the first words out of Albus's mouth when he spotted Annemarie and Verity.

"Fine. Why?" Ver replied as Annemarie ran off to hug James.

Albus shrugged. "You two took forever getting ready. I was beginning to think you had left me for some other bloke."

She grimaced. "Never. I was tired, then Annemarie started talking in Latin, which set us off for another five minutes. That's all." She shrugged her shoulders lightly, trying to mask the worry in her eyes. She failed miserably.

As they took their seats at a table with Annemarie, James, Rose, Hugo, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and George, Albus whispered, "Something else is bothering you."

"Later," she hissed back, hoping he would forget all about this.

As if he could read her mind, he nodded, but added, "But don't think I'll forget about this. Because I have a mind like a steel trap."

Choosing to ignore the first half of what he said, she giggled and asked, "Since when?"

He chuckled as he pecked her on the cheek, saying, "Only for you, love. Only for you."

"So," Albus said, coming out onto the balcony of his apartment. Verity had planned to stay the night in the flat, which his parents had gifted him with for his most recent birthday. "What's bothering you?"

"It's Dennis," she said, deciding it would be better to just come clean now rather than break down about it later. "I really want him to be able to make it to the wedding."

"I know," he whispered softly, wrapping his arms around her. "I want him there, too- but not if it costs him his life."

"Of course not," she agreed. "And I have absolutely no problem with James walking me down the aisle- you know he's like another brother to me. The only thing is…"

"You hate that the only reason James would have to walk you down the aisle would be because Dennis was still in the hospital?" he supplied knowingly. She nodded. "I understand." She turned to face him, burying her face in his chest. He pressed a soft kiss into her hair, murmuring, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered. She pressed her ear against his chest, feeling his heart beat a wild tattoo against his chest. She looked up at him, pointing at his chest and asked, "Why is your heart beating so fast?"

He smiled. "Because I know I'm holding the woman I'm going to marry in less than two days."

Her mouth twisted into a teasing grin. "Well, that wasn't clichéd at all."

His emerald green eyes twinkled in the darkness as he bent his head towards her. "I can only try, Ver," he murmured against her lips.

Her hands flew to his black hair, pulling gently at the strands as his arms tightened around her waist, drawing her even closer, if at all possible. He opened his mouth to her, her taste intoxicating him. Her nails scratched lightly at his scalp and he let out a moan, low and deep. He slowly backed her into the flat through the still open sliding door, taking care not to ram her into anything.

Verity felt the back of her legs hit the bed as his hand reached under her shirt. Her knees buckled underneath her and she fell back onto the bed, Albus landing roughly on top of her. He pulled away, panting for breath. "Sorry," he whispered, his voice husky.

"Albus," she hissed urgently, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulled him into another kiss. She gently pushed him over so that she was on top of him, her lips still moving against his.

They broke apart for a moment. "Verity," he whispered hungrily. He pressed a soft, gentle kiss to her lips before pulling away, panting, "Need. To. Stop."

She nodded, rolling off of him and sitting up. "Sorry," she breathed heavily. "I guess I got carried away."

He shook his head. "We both did, Ver," he replied. "It's fine. I've gotten carried away lots of times."

"How many more days again?" she groaned, leaning against him heavily.

"Less than two."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another update. You know you love me! Don't own, don't sue. Read and review, please! This is NOT the last chapter. **

Chapter 7

"Dennis… are you… sure about this?"

"Bloody hell, sis," Dennis panted, walking slowly towards the car, his arm slung around his twin's shoulders. "I've told you a million times- nothing is going to keep me from the wedding. Now you sure as hell better be a fast driver or we're never going to make it in time."

Verity's mouth twisted into a grin. "I've missed you a lot, Dennis."

"I missed you, too," he told her, smiling sideways at her. "I wanted to be there to walk you down the aisle like Dad would've done, if he was alive."

"Yeah," she said, helping him into the passenger seat of the car. She closed the door for him before going around the car to the driver's side. "Buckle up, Den. This is not going to be pretty."

"You look bloody gorgeous," Rose hissed admiringly. Annemarie, Rose, and Verity were in the bridal dressing room, preparing Verity for her wedding. Verity grinned and sucked in a slow, rattling breath. She hadn't seen Albus since that morning (damn tradition) and her nerves were frazzled. She eyed herself in the full length mirror, admiring her friends' work. Her normally straight red hair was curled and pulled back softly into a ponytail, her bangs falling into her blue eyes. She was wearing very little makeup- Annemarie and Rose had insisted that she didn't need any more than that. She had on light blue eyeshadow that matched her eyes as well as black mascara. Her wedding dress was pure white and simple, with very little frills. The front had a modest v-neck while the back dipped daringly to three inches above the base of her spine, a criss-crossing pattern filling the space in between.

"You'll be fine," Annemarie told her knowingly. "Nothing is going to go wrong. I promise."

Those words struck a horrible bell inside her head as her recently manicured hands balled into fists. She turned her eyes towards her cousin, whispering, "Don't make promises that you can't keep."

"Nothing will go wrong, Ver," Annemarie told her firmly. "Not because I promise. But because everything will be okay. For once in our lives, nothing will go wrong. Everything will work out. No one will need to have their arse saved and we won't have to hex anyone's arse into next year. Believe me- you deserve it."

Verity hugged her cousin gratefully, the nervous flutters in her stomach disappearing. "So that's why I keep you around."

Dennis and James met the three girls in the narthex of the church- Verity and Albus had opted for a Catholic wedding. "You looked beautiful, sis," Dennis choked out, his blue eyes shining.

"My little bro's going to have a coronary when he sees you," James smiled. "He might jump you in front of the altar."

"I think my cousin has more taste than that," Rose said, disgusted. James merely shook his head knowingly and linked arms with Annemarie.

"Let's go take our places," he said, taking Annemarie and Rose with him as he left. He turned his head back to Verity at the last possible moment, remind her, "Two minutes."

As soon as they were gone, Dennis crushed his twin to him in a bone-crushing hug. "Dennis," she laughed, "I'm only getting married; I'm not moving or anything."

"Do I even have to tell you what's so wrong about what you just said?" he chuckled, raising a red eyebrow at her. "You and Albus… are going to be the happiest married couple I'll ever see. I can guarantee it."

"I'm glad you're here, bro," she whispered, grinning at her brother massively. "It wouldn't have been the same without you to walk me down the aisle."

"I know, sis," he said. "I know. Why do you think I made sure I was here?"

"Can I tell you something?" James asked, pressing his lips to the back of Annemarie's hand.

"Sure," she muttered faintly, blushing pink under his intense gaze.

"I was in my sixth year when Albus and Verity were in their fourth year. Albus and Verity were already dating and so were Dennis and Rose. It seemed everyone had someone but me. I suppose my rants about it were driving them rather insane, because near the end of the year, Ver nearly burst a capillary yelling at me to get a girlfriend. So, in my seventh year, I did."

Her mouth was pressed into a thin line, a pained expression on her face. "James," she whispered faintly, sounding as though she were in pain, "why are you telling me this?"

"Shh," he replied, reaching out to tuck a lock her of red hair behind her ear. "You'll see." He took a deep breath before resuming his story. "I started dating Susan. She was smart, beautiful, talented- everything I could wish for- or so I thought. I thought I was in love with her, Annemarie. But I found her cheating on me with a sixth year Hufflepuff. A _sixth year_. She broke my heart."

"James," she said softly, her fingers trailing down his cheek softly now.

"But you," he said, the light and love reappearing in his hazel eyes once more. "You're smarter than her, more talented than her, and- ruddy hell- you're so much more beautiful than her. And I know you'd never cheat on me. And I also know this- I _am_ in love with you."

Annemarie felt her heart stop beating as she wondered if she had heard him correctly. "Wha?" _Brilliant, Annemarie_, she thought. _Annemarie comes up with another brilliant and witty response. With vocabulary like that, I should be able to converse with… oh, I don't know… a rock, perhaps?_

"I love you," James repeated, a worried look appearing in his hazel eyes.

Annemarie tended to think things through logically before coming to a conclusion, but her mind seemed to be incapable of cooperating at the moment. It felt so right to say the words, and she knew it was right. "I love you, too."

"Are you ready?" Albus mouthed to Verity in front of the entire congregation. She smiled and nodded as the priest read through the final parts of the matrimonial rite. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she mouthed back, her smile radiant.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest said, beaming at the happy couple. "You may now kiss the bride."

"It's about time," Albus said hungrily, drawing her into a sweet kiss. And that was that. As their friends and family watched, Dennis, James, Rose, and Annemarie, together silently cast the magical spell that was required to complete a magical wedding- with the four of them as witnessed, Albus and Verity were now bonded for life- through blood, life, and love. They were irrevocably made one- husband and wife, lover and lover, friend and friend. If anyone were to try to undo that bond, well- it was just impossible.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Don't own, don't sue. This chapter is extremely fluffy and very mildly graphic. Very mildly. Read and review please. Enjoy. **

Chapter 8

Verity was unable to stop her mad giggling as Albus picked her up bridal style and carried her across the threshold into the living room. "Are you drunk?" he laughed as he set her down on the bed. "You don't usually giggle like this."

"No," she said, smiling at him broadly. "I wanted to be completely sober tonight." He blushed at what she was implying. She winced.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern filling his green eyes. After all they crap they had been through, he wanted everything to be perfect for her on their wedding night.

"Nothing," she said hastily. "My feet just hurt."

"Oh," he said. "Let me help you." He kneeled on the floor, undoing the straps on her shoes and sliding them over gently, pressing soft kisses to the tops of her feet.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked. "I haven't washed my feet in ages."

He pretended to grimace, but couldn't help but grin at her. "It doesn't matter to me, love." When he was done, he stood, his hands stuffed in his pockets, looking at his feet with a great deal of interest.

"So…" she said slowly. "This isn't awkward at all."

He chuckled. "We've been dating for years, Ver. Let's just… roll with it."

"Okay, er…" she said, biting her lip. "Do you want to… to change first?"

"Sure," he shrugged.

"All right," she said, gathering the folds of her wedding dress as she stood. "I'll get… changed." She stood, feeling the nervousness she had felt before her wedding claw at her stomach again. Why was this so hard for them? Hadn't they been so tempted to rip each other's clothes off just two days ago?

"Verity." His deep voice sent shivers down her spine; he sounded so full of love and longing. She felt his hands on her hips as he spun her around to face him, his lips crushing to hers in desperate need. Her hands clung to the back of his neck possessively as he traced his tongue along the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth to him as one of his hands left her waist and entangled itself in her hair. His other hand also left her waist and touched the exposed skin of her back that the v-neck of her dress revealed, eliciting a moan from her. "I love you," he breathed heavily in between kisses.

"I love you too," she gasped back.

"Ver," he panted, sucking at a pulse point on her neck. "Forget about changing."

"But-" she started to protest, being cut off by his lips reclaiming her mouth as his own.

"I can't wait any longer," he said. His voice was laced with love and desire.

"All right," she consented. She stood on her toes to kiss him, longing for more contact. He obliged, his lips finding her own once more. His hand fumbled with the shoulder strap of her dress, tugging it downward. He felt her chuckle slightly, both of them acknowledging their inexperience in their current activity. She shrugged her right arm out of its strap as the right half of her dress sagged downwards, partly revealing a strapless white bra. She then wriggled her way out of the left shoulder strap, leaving the upper half of her body exposed.

His fingers then fiddled with the laces of the v-neck at the back of her dress. After a few moments, he succeeded in undoing them and he dress slipped down to her legs. He pulled back a moment to allow her to get completely out of her dress and he stared at her wide-eyed. "What?" she asked as she stepped out of her dress, clad only in her underwear and bra.

"You're even more beautiful than I could've imagined," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her.

"You've been imagining this?" she joked. "Pervert."

"Shut up," he told her good-naturedly. "Don't ruin the moment." He released her, pulling off his jacket with a flourish. "Where were we?" he asked. Without waiting for a reply, he pulled her into another passionate kiss, his tongue exploring every crevice of her mouth. Her hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, finally giving up and ripping it off unceremoniously after a few frustrating attempts. She then tugged at his pants, feeling a tightening in his lower regions. He reached down and undid the zipper and shed his clothing. He pulled away for a minute, resting his forehead against hers for a moment. "Are you ready for this?"

The blue eyes found green. "Yes," she said. With that he crushed his lips to hers once more and pulled her down onto the bed on top of him.

The morning sun poured in through the window, rousing Albus from his deep sleep. His green eyes fluttered open as he blindly groped for his glasses on the nightstand. He found them and put them, squinting in the sudden light. He turned his head, his eyes falling on the sleeping figure of Verity. She was lying on her back, her chest rising steadily with her breathing. Her figure conformed to his, her entire body pressed against him. And it sure as hell felt _good_. She unconsciously rolled over onto her stomach, his arm still draped around her body. He smiled to himself at the bare expanse of skin that he could see. Her red hair was tangled and disheveled, spread about her wildly. His hand gently caressed her soft, supple skin of her back as his fingers tingled with delight at the silky feel of her skin beneath his fingers. His smile grew broader as he thought back to last night. "Bloody hell," he said happily, his emerald green eyes half-closed in content. Her blue eyes fluttered open and her mouth curved into a smile at the sight of him. He searched his mind for something original to say, but found nothing. So instead, he simply said, "Good morning."

"Morning," she replied happily, snuggling up to him. "Last night was…"

"Amazing," he supplied, feeling her legs wrap about his waist.

"Amazing," she agreed, pressing a kiss to his forehead. She chuckled. "I bet I'm a mess."

"You're beautiful," he contradicted, his hand resting in the small of her back. "We've finally done it."

"Yeah," she sighed happily. "It was better than I ever could've imagined."

"This will sound weird," he said, "but was it worth waiting for marriage?"

"Definitely," she said. "It made it special. And I feel like it was the right thing to do." She cocked her head at him. "Why? Do you think it was worth it?"

He nodded his head. "Very much so," he breathed huskily. "I love you, Verity."

"I love you too, Albus," she replied, nuzzling his neck. She gently rolled on top of him, her body pressing against his.

He moaned. "Ver," he breathed.

"Albus," she countered, burying her face in his neck. His arms looped around her. "How long are we staying here?"

"You mean in bed or on our honeymoon?" he laughed, kissing her hair softly.

"On our honeymoon, sicko," she teased.

"A week?" he suggested.

"A week," she agreed. She pressed a kiss to the crook of his neck. "I'd fight a thousand Drasens for you, Al."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Don't own, don't sue. There are a few more chappies to go of this fic, so never fear! Erm, read and review please. Enjoy. **

Chapter 9

"Tonight's the last night of our honeymoon," Albus said conversationally, sitting on the king sized bed next to his redheaded wife.

"Hmmm," she agreed, paging through a magazine. He prodded her in the side, trying to get attention. She reluctantly tore her eyes from the pages of her copy of _Witch Weekly_ and looked up at him. "What?"

"Tonight's the last night of our honeymoon," he repeated.

"I heard you the first time," Verity told him. Then she saw the pleading look in his green eyes. She smiled and closed the magazine, throwing it carelessly over the side of the bed. She allowed him to gather her into his arms, hugging her tightly against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her hair as she said, "It's been a great week, huh?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Especially when Dennis owled us to tell us he had been successfully healed."

She smiled at the memory, snuggling closer into him. "And we've had a wonderful week all to ourselves."

He chuckled, shaking both their bodies with the deepness of his laugh. "I think we spent more than half of it in bed."

"Probably," she agreed, chortling. "Just don't tell my brother that."

"I rather fancy keeping my manhood, thanks," he grimaced.

She giggled. "I rather fancy it that way too." She turned her head to face him as he raised an eyebrow at her, a mischievous glint in his emerald green eyes.

"Do you now?" he queried, a grin playing on his lips.

"Yes, I do," she replied, pressing her lips to his in a brief kiss. He moaned, fingering the bottom of her shirt. She chuckled as she pulled away, saying, "Oh, just take it off already."

"Really?" he asked, sounding delighted. She nodded, grinning at his excitement. He wasted no time in pulling her shirt off over her head. Then he reached around to her back to unsnap her bra. He then gently slid her skirt down her legs, pulling it off with a flourish. "Am I getting better?"

"Definitely," she grinned as he pulled her back into the kiss, trailing his tongue along her bottom lip. Moaning contently, she pulled his shirt up over his head. She then undid the zipper of his pants and began to pull them downwards.

He pulled away, panting, "You're getting better, too." She grinned at him, pulling him on top of her.

"Eeeek!" It was with a squeal that Annemarie threw her arms around her redheaded cousin, jumping up and down in her excitement. "I've missed you so much!"

"I'm here too you know," Albus joked, running a hand through his uncontrollably messy black hair.

Annemarie ignored him as Verity replied, "We were only gone a week, Eerie."

"I know, I know," she replied as James clapped his brother on his back.

"Have fun?" James asked them, a mischievous glint in his hazel eyes.

"Hell yes," Albus breathed huskily, pulling Verity back to him.

"Good, sweet Merlin," Annemarie commented, shaking her head in shame. "How long did you two spend in bed?"

"That is not," Dennis said, coming into the living room, "something a guy wants to hear being said about his twin sister."

"Watch it," Ver warned him. "You gave Al your blessing, remember?" Rose came into the room and sat next to James, watching the twins with rapt attention.

"That can easily be fixed," Dennis growled. Albus looked alarm, but Ver merely rolled her eyes.

"Watch it," she repeated. She turned to Albus to say something to him, but noticed that he was gasping for breath. "Al? What's wrong?"

They all turned their heads in his direction, looking at him with concern in all their eyes. He tried to choke out a few words but was unable to- he couldn't breathe. "He can't breathe!" Rose squeaked, the color leaving her face.

Thinking quickly, Verity gathered Al into her arms and Apparated as quickly as possible to St. Mungo's.

"You go talk to her; you're a girl!" James hissed at Rose, gesturing towards Verity. Since the Healers had taken Albus into a private room to work on him, she had merely sat on the squishy chair in the waiting room, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. She had barely moved, her chest rising and falling slowly with each breath she took.

"Dennis should talk to her; he's her twin," Rose countered, jabbing Dennis with her index finger.

"Bloody hell, stop arguing!" Annemarie hissed, closing her book on the Muggle World War II, _The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich_ (James was surprised she could carry the book; it was at least 2000 pages long and probably weighed half as much as she did), shut with a loud snap. "She can hear you, you know! She's just pretending not to so she can bloody think! I'll go talk to her." She threw her book down on James' lap with a thump.

"Ouch," he muttered, rubbing the spot on his leg where it had hit him. "Was it necessary to throw it down with such force?"

Annemarie ignored him, seeing as she was already halfway across the room to Verity. "Ver?" she said softly, sitting next to her cousin. Verity nodded her head slightly to show that she had heard. "Ver, he's going to be okay. I promise."

Verity blinked. Her mouth opened, then closed. She blinked her blue eyes again. She emitted a sort of strangled noise from the back of her throat, as if she couldn't get her tongue to form the words. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

It was Annemarie's turn to be speechless. She had promised Ver on her wedding night that nothing would go wrong. But this was so _very _wrong. She bit her lip and hugged her cousin tightly to her. "You're right," she admitted. "I shouldn't make promises that I can't keep. And, again, you're right- I can't promise that everything will work out or that he'll be okay. But I can promise to be there for you no matter what, Ver- that's what friends are for."

Verity said nothing, but as Annemarie felt her cousin's hot tears dripping onto her shirt, she knew that Verity understood. After a few moments of silence, Verity said in a strangled sort of whisper, "He's my world, Eerie."

"I know," Annemarie assured her, stroking her hair gently and fighting off her own tears. "I know."

"Mrs. Potter?" said a Healer, stepping out of the room they had taken Albus into what seemed like an eternity ago. Verity looked up, furiously wiping away her tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. Something was wrong- his voice was completely devoid of emotion, as if he was trying to cut himself off from their situation completely.

"Yes?" she choked out through her tears. She noticed how James's, Annemarie's, Dennis's, and Rose's heads all snapped up as well, to listen to whatever news the Healer may have to deliver.

The Healer sighed, as if it had been a long day and this was just another patient- another human body devoid of soul, devoid of love. "I'm afraid that your husband, Mr. Albus S. Potter is… well, he's dying ma'am."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Don't own. Never have, never will. Thanks for the reviews, even though I know you hate me for such a horrible cliffhanger. I'd hate me, too. As for Albus's fate… I can't say. It'll kill the plot. But you'll find out in this chapter. Please read and review. Enjoy! **

Chapter 10

"D-do you need one of us to come in with you?" James asked softly, tucking a lock of Ver's red hair behind her ear in a brotherly fashion.

She shook her head weakly, feeling numb. "No," she whispered hoarsely. "I need to do this… alone."

"Are you sure?" Annemarie asked, her brow knitting in concern. This time she nodded, slowly, deliberately. She slowly pushed open the glass door, using all her strength as she slowly made her way over to her husband's bedside. He had some sort of breathing apparatus shoved down his throat- his condition was so bad that they Healers had resorted to using a Muggle device to keep him breathing. She sucked in a shaky breath, feeling her resolve leave her. She grasped Albus's hand in her own, pressing a soft kiss to it. His green eyes flew open almost immediately and grew wide at the sight of her. He tried to talk.

"Shhh," she whispered softly, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "Don't try to talk. They've got something down your throat to help you breathe; it's a Muggle thing." He blinked, as if to show her that he understood. "God, Al. They don't know what's wrong with you. And you can't breathe without this damn thing shoved down your throat. And… Al, they say… they say you're dying."

He squeezed her hand tightly, as if to assure her that he'd never leave her. "Al… I can't lose you. Y-you're my life. If you d-die," she was starting to cry now, tears falling from her blue eyes at an alarming rate, "I'd die, too." His green eyes widened at her meaningfully. "I haven't forgotten the promise that I… we made back at Godric's Hollow, but Albus- I don't think I can do it."

He then blinked at her several times in rapid succession, as if to tell her that she must. Suddenly, all sorts of alarms went off as his body began to seize uncontrollably and his green eyes rolled back into his head. A full team of Healers rushed into the room and pushed Verity back from the bed, tearing apart their interlocked fingers viciously. "What's going on?" she asked frantically.

"His body is crashing," replied a Healer, stepping back from the side of Albus's bed. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do, Mrs. Potter. He's going to die."

"No!" she insisted shrilly, her voice rising several octaves in her hysteria. "No, no, no! There's always something you can do."

"He's going to die," the Healer said stubbornly. "I promise you."

A determined look came into Verity's blue eyes as she sniped, "Don't make promises that you can't keep." She forcefully elbowed her way through the thick crowd of Healers around his bed, shoving a few aside rather rudely- but she didn't care. "Move!" she roared. She grabbed his hand, clinging to it tightly. She made good use of her Legilimency skills and pushed through the barriers around his weakened mind.

_DON'T DIE! _

His response was weak- he was barely clinging to whatever little life he had left. _I'm not strong enough, Ver. I love you. _

_I love you, too,_ she said desperately. _But I need you, Albus. I'm nothing without you. I'll die. _

_You promised. _

_I did but… it's too damn hard. _

_You'll be able to handle it. _

_Maybe I won't have to. _

_What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean, Ver? You better not do anything stupid with your life! _

She ignored his last reply and grasped both his hands tightly in hers. She focused all her energy and willed it into him. She was weakened, but it wasn't enough.

_Bloody hell, Ver, STOP IT! You're going to kill yourself to save me and I won't have it! You'll die. _

_Better than living without you_, she responded gruffly. She willed the remainder of her strength and energy into him, feeling her consciousness drifting, fading. The last thing she heard before the blackness claimed her was the ominous shattering of glass. Then… nothing.

Albus slowly felt himself opening his eyes, his consciousness returning **(A/N: Yes, he's alive. I couldn't bear to kill him off. Love me, adore me)**. "Al? Oh my God, Albus. Thank Merlin you're alive," said a voice. James. "Welcome back, little bro."

He emitted some sort of choking noise from the back of his throat. The breathing apparatus was gone. "Ver-i-ty," he choked out, his voice hoarse from disuse and his throat parched.

"She's in the next room over, mate," Dennis said, grinning broadly down at his best mate. "She's been awake for _days_, driving the Healers bloody mad with her incessant questions about you. Though I guess they deserve it. What with them about to give up on you and all."

"What happened?" he croaked out.

"Verity saved your life and almost killed herself doing it," James told him. "She… well, I'll let her explain."

"She's been awake for days?" Al managed to say. "How long have I been out?"

"A week," Dennis grimaced. "I'll go get her; she'll be so bloody happy." He headed out of the room and turned left.

As soon as he was gone, James sighed, saying, "You gave us all a right good scare, little bro. Especially Verity. She would've… if you had died, she would've just given up, mate. They still don't know what was wrong with you."

"Why not?" he choked out.

"Damn lazy Healers," he spat. "Rose needs to hurry up and train so she can fix up the whole friggin' lot of them."

"Ver, slow down!" Dennis called from the hallway. But there was no use talking to her. Verity came bursting into the room, unceremoniously shoving James aside and toppling over the railing into Albus's bed.

She was careful not to hurt him though as she began to kiss every exposed inch of his skin that she reach with her lips. "God, Al. Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I love you," he breathed, catching her lips with his own for a moment.

"I love you, too," she replied. She looked around the room- Dennis and James had left, presumably to give them some alone time.

"So," he asked, sounding grave now. "What exactly happened?"

She sucked in a deep, shaky breath. "The Healers kept insisting that you were going to die and I wasn't having any of it. So I… it's ancient magic. Similar to what Dennis and I have. I poured my energy into you and you needed so much- I almost died giving you all the energy that you needed. I know you told me stop, Al, but I-I couldn't. You're my world and life just wouldn't be worth living without you. The last thing I heard before I passed out was glass shattering. Dennis, Rose, James, and Annemarie were watching the whole thing through the large glass windows. When they saw me starting to faint, they wanted to come in, but the Healers had put a protective charm over the door. So they just broke the windows."

He was quiet for several moments as she continued to pepper his face with kisses, her chapped lips brushing against his warm skin. "You shouldn't have risked it," he told her fiercely. She started to recoil, but he gently gathered her into his arms, pressing a soft kiss into her vibrant red hair. "But I'm sure as hell glad you did."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Don't own, don't sue. Please read and review. **

**James: Teehee, that rhymes! **

**Me: Ignoring James. Erm, if you're looking for a sequel… well, I really don't know. Probably not. This fic's ending just feels… too much like real closure to continue. This is the last chapter. If you come up with a good enough idea for a sequel and post it in a review, I'll consider writing one. Enjoy! **

Chapter 11

"I'm so glad you're okay."

Annemarie was at Verity's bedside, talking about old time. "Thanks, Eerie."

"You scared the crap out of all of us," Annemarie continued, wringing her hands together. She cocked her head at her cousin. "Why'd you do it?"

"Because," Verity said, her blue eyes meeting her cousin's gray ones. "Life without him isn't anywhere near worth living." Her eyes suddenly landed on the Resurrection Stone embedded on the ring. And an idea struck her…

"Morning, Sleepyhead."

James strode into his younger brother's hospital room carrying a McDonalds' bag. "They may be Muggles but they sure can cook," he said, setting the bag down on the table.

"That smells good," Albus said, his mouth watering.

"Oh," James said suddenly, rummaging around in his pocket for something. He produced an object, which he handed to Albus. "Ver wanted me to give this to you. She said you'd know what to do with it." It was the Resurrection Stone. Of course!

"James, can I… er, have some alone time?" he asked awkwardly, flashing a pleading glance towards his elder brother.

"Sure thing," James said, grabbing the bag, "but I'm taking this food with me."

As soon as he was gone, Albus closed his hand over the ring, concentrating hard. "Al?"

He opened his brilliant emerald eyes a crack. "Scorpius!" Albus cried, overjoyed. A ghostly image of Scorpius was before him, floating in the air.

"What are you doing in St. Mungo's?" Scorpius asked, concern etched all over his face.

"Long story," Albus said, gesturing his left hand wildly. Scorpius's ghostly gray eyes landed on the glint of gold on the fourth finger of his left hand.

"You're married?" he gaped. "Verity better be your wife."

Albus nodded. "Who else? We were married just a fortnight ago."

"And why wasn't I invited?" he asked, sounding indignant.

"Scor," Albus said patiently. "You're dead."

"Sure, rub it in," Scorpius said. He was smiling widely now. "So… how'd it go? Will you two be popping out any kids soon?"

Albus flushed. "I don't know, Scor. We both nearly died about a week ago. She'll probably want to wait 'til we're both a bit healthier and our jobs are just a tad bit steadier."

"And what about you?"

"Me?" he repeated, shrugging. "I want whatever she wants."

The ghostly figure of Scorpius was now gone, replaced by the small figure of Lily. "Lils! How are you?" Albus exclaimed, smiling broadly. He fought to keep his tears from falling, not wanting to worry her.

"Albus!" Lily said, jumping excitedly. She then wasted no time in spotting the wedding band on his left hand. "You're married! Yea, yea, yea! You're married to Verity, right?"

"I sure am," he nodded. "Merlin, I miss you, Lily."

"I miss you, too, Albus," she replied. "But you know it's not your fault that I died, right?"

He gaped at her. "How did you know that I worried about that?"

She shrugged her ghostly shoulders. "I'm dead; we dead people know these things."

Lily was gone; Albus sucked in a deep breath, preparing to recall the figures of the people he had never known. He was unbelievably nervous about this- how in the world was he going to talk to the grandparents he had never known? Closing his eyes again, he concentrated. "Harry?" said a voice suddenly. He opened his eyes. In front of him were two ghostly figures; one was a woman with vibrant red hair and almond-shaped emerald green eyes, the second was a man with messy jet black hair and sparkling hazel eyes.

"I'm not Harry," Albus said quietly. He squinted at them. "James? Lily?"

"How do you know our names?" James asked softly. "You look almost just like me… but you have Lily's eyes… are you sure you're not Harry?"

"I'm sure," Albus replied, chuckling slightly. "I'm Harry's son, Albus Potter." James muttered something about Dumbledore under his breath.

"So you're our… our grandson?" Lily queried. "It's true; it must be- I can feel it."

"Do you play Quidditch?" James asked eagerly, cautiously approaching his grandson.

"James!" Lily yelped, slapping his playfully on the arm. Her ghostly hand swept right through his own ghostly figure.

"What?" he asked. "It's an honest question!"

"Yeah, I do," Albus replied, nodding his head. "I'm a Seeker."

"Just like Sirius said Harry was!" Lily gushed, having forgotten her momentary anger. "Why'd you call us back?"

"I wanted to meet you," he told them softly. "I-I never knew you so… I'm sorry."

"Don't be," James insisted. Lily nodded her redhead in agreement. "We've always loved you, Albus, even though we didn't know you. We've always loved you because you're our grandson, even if we're dead."

He nodded, fighting to keep his tears from spilling over. Lily spotted his wedding ring, smiling slightly, and said, "And I'm sure your wife is a very lucky woman to have you."

"No," he said hoarsely. "I'm lucky to have her." And then they were gone. And he had his closure.

"We're finally home!" Verity exclaimed, bursting through the front door of their flat. She threw down her bags unceremoniously onto the floor, collapsing onto the nearest chair.

"Ver?" Albus said thoughtfully, nervously running a hand through his jet black hair. "D-do we want to have kids? I mean, I want them and I know you do, too, but… when?"

She shrugged. "I'm ready, Albus," she replied, her blue eyes probing his green ones intently. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, pressing a kiss to the crook of his neck. "Are you?"

"Yeah," he breathed into her ear huskily. "What do you say we go try?" She giggled and allowed him to lead her to the bedroom.

It was in that moment that the two realized that time is not a series of still-standing moments, but a perpetual flow of continuous moments, never standing still, and always moving on.


End file.
